High Alarm Malware Threats Bells NZ Computers

According to a national ISP survey conducted by internet service providers (ISP) in Hamilton, New Zealand, one in every house is found to be infected by malicious software, reports nzherald on October 14, 2011.

Even by the statistics revealed by independent cyber safety watchdog Netsafe, approximately 55,000 computers have been found to be compromised.

The survey discovered that around 45% ISPs monitored signs of unsafe web browsing inviting malware including pharming, phishing, Trojans and botnets, or a collection of compromised computers set up for circulating spam and viruses to other computers on the Internet.

The survey also indicated that one third of ISPs who had been monitoring threats reported that the most relevant activity circumvented around botnets (or zombified computers, as known technically).

The compromised or zombie or slave computers are further used to circulate spam, viruses, or engage in cyber-warfare without the knowledge of their owners.

About half the ISPs in New Zealand screened their networks for unsafe intervention and 4% connections showed signs of such activity.

According to the survey, 4% of subscribers of ISPs that were monitored showed signs of compromised security.

NetSafe Executive Director, Martin Cocker claimed that good response from increasing monitoring activities of ISPs is indeed a remarkable sign.

Cocker further administered that it is always comparatively easy and good news that ISPs are adapting all security measures for protecting their computers, reports nzherald on October 14, 2011.

However, it was quite significant at the same time the revelation of the results showed that a significant number of Kiwis are using computer connections that are unsafe and potentially at the risk zone, which is again quite depressing.

Cocker also added that malware could easily be used towards hacking all private and confidential information pertaining to credit card details, destruction of data, draining data caps or attacking other computers also.

Once a computer is hacker, the owner is no longer under control for which it is of utmost importance to take care of basic security measures for protecting ones computer.

According to security experts, computers can be protected by installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software by employing active firewall and installing software for automated updates.